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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29202723">Tonight and Tonight</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/unassumingvenusaur/pseuds/unassumingvenusaur'>unassumingvenusaur</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>SRCU (Sahri Rhoshaan Cinematic Universe) [8]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Final Fantasy XIV</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Blow Jobs, Cunnilingus, Dancer Questline spoilers too i guess, Dancing, Eden Questline (Final Fantasy XIV) Spoilers, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Just the first tier tho, M/M, Past Unhealthy Relationship, Polyamory, Porn With Plot, Porn with Feelings, Post-Patch 5.0: Shadowbringers, Pre-Patch 5.1: Vows of Virtue; Deeds of Cruelty, Strap-Ons, Technically the debriefing from Tataru is from 5.1 but I will fudge it bc thats weird, They/he pronouns for Urianger bc how are you going to stop me, Trans Male Character, Trans Thancred, alcohol consumption, sex is wol/thancred</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 05:13:19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>10,278</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29202723</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/unassumingvenusaur/pseuds/unassumingvenusaur</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>In encountering Eden, Sahri and Thancred find a moment to make up for lost time and look forward together.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Urianger Augurelt/Thancred Waters, Warrior of Light/Thancred Waters, Y'shtola/WoL and Emet/WoL background but not present</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>SRCU (Sahri Rhoshaan Cinematic Universe) [8]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2058933</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Today</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This one turned out longer than I expected! So I've divided it into two chapters, one no smut with the Eden four and one just Thancred and Sahri, the scene with the smut. </p><p>It felt really good to just let these two be unabashedly happy for once...Though don't get too used to it Thancred imma go back and write the predating angst one day</p><p>As usual, this builds on previous pieces in the series, but can likely be read on its own without major confusion.</p><p>This is both my first time writing a character that uses multiple pronouns and my first time writing smut w/a trans dude so I'd really appreciate feedback on both those aspects! </p><p>The name of the Warrior of Light in this fic is Sahri Rhoshaan.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Hmmm...First, we...lay this out across the ground, yes?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sahri holds a large blue tarp in her hands, eyeing it with scrutiny. They would be pitching rather large tents, no doubt, considering the majority of the material continued to drag across the Empty’s barren soil. The canvas’ hue was rather dull, but against the Empty’s stark, unbroken white, it seemed near-vibrant in comparison. Almost unnatural--as if there was anything natural about the existence of this light-blasted hellscape. Or about the enormous, almost magitek-like creature lingering in the horizon…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh! That’s...not quite right, Sahri.” Ryne places her hand on the woman’s arm. “You’re holding the rainfly--we place that over the tent at the very end. We’re looking for...here it is.” Ryne reaches down to pick up another stretch of canvas, about half the size of the one Sahri held. She pulls at it, demonstrating the firmer material. “See? It serves as a better footprint.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sahri’s eyes widen in understanding. “That...makes far more sense.” Ryne gives her a reassuring smile, and the woman smiles back--always such a sweet girl. She reaches down to take the opposite corners from which the girl held, working with her to lay it flat across the ground. Fortunately, the terrain was far from rugged--the absence of wind and life certainly assisted with that. Regarding their work with a satisfied nod, Sahri turns back towards the supplies. “I’ll fetch the stakes, then.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...Erm...Sahri.” Again, Ryne’s voice urges her to stop. “The stakes come much later, actually. We need to lay out the body, set up the poles…” Sahri’s prickle of embarrassment blooms into a surge of red when she hears a laugh behind her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you really not know how to pitch a tent, Sahri?” Thancred regards the woman with an amused smirk. To her horror, he and Urianger were already attaching the body of their tent to fully pieced-together poles. “I thought you hailed from the woods--An </span>
  <em>
    <span>adventurer</span>
  </em>
  <span> from the woods, at that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sahri huffs, frowning. “I did live in a </span>
  <em>
    <span>home</span>
  </em>
  <span> when I came of age in the Twelveswood, Thancred. Besides...” She turns her gaze heavensward. Corrupted with light as it may be, the Empty shared the same natural sky they’d returned to Norvrandt--hopefully a sign it extended across all the First. “When I wander, I prefer to rest in the open, rather than segmenting myself from nature. To lay where I can see the sky.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That thou mightst listen rapt to the subtle susurrations of Nophica’s domain, swept into thy slumber by the brilliance of the stars which blanket the night sky…” Urianger smiles to themselves. “Mayhaps I, too, should adopt thy beauteous perspective…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thancred gives an exasperated shrug. “And while the two of you shiver your arses off in the name of beauty, I shall sleep soundly, shielded from the elements.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“‘Twould be far from the first occasion that beauty hath eluded thy clutches,” Urianger retorts, not missing a beat. Sahri bursts into laughter at the look Thancred gives him. She envied the easy banter the years had afforded the two’s relationship to settle into, truly. For her part, Ryne seemed to enjoy it, as she soon joined Sahri in her giggles. Thancred shoots her glance, betrayed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And now you have </span>
  <em>
    <span>her</span>
  </em>
  <span> laughing at my expense, as well,” Thancred grumbles. Sahri can hear his ego deflate alongside his voice. “We’ll see if you still can once you have known love’s cruel affections, Ryne.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...When I fall in love?” The girl stops laughing. Instead, she clutches her chest, brow furrowed in thought. “I assumed I’d never be able to, but now…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thancred’s eyes widen in horror, seemingly realizing what he’d stirred. “Oh gods, what has my bloody tongue wrought now? Ryne, promise me you will not go running off after the first handsome boy you see in the Crystarium.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“W-What?!” Ryne’s face flushes with embarrassment and anger both. “Why would I...Do you </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> think I would...We still have so much left to do!” She shakes her head, making a sound of annoyance. The girl may be sweet, but she was a teen all the same. “Investigating Eden, for one. So why don’t we focus on pitching these tents so we can see to the task ahead?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re right, you’re right,” Thancred concedes, motioning his hands to appease her. “Here, why don’t we switch partners? You assist Urianger, and I’ll help Sahri here pick up the pace.” Ryne considers this and nods in agreement, exchanging positions with Thancred. “Just follow my lead,” he instructs Sahri with a teasing smile, earning a scoff. He picks up the tent’s body from the ground, and the two quickly set to work.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thankfully, the process is rather intuitive, and it is not long before Sahri’s mind begins to drift. There was little to which it could roam besides the interminable white stretching beyond the horizon...How fortunate Y’shtola helped her feel able to travel once more, that she was able to check in with Ryne and the others. The idea of leaving the three to explore this wasteland without her was...disconcerting, to say the least. What a wretched place this was. And yet, gazing upon the sight, her mind tingles with the faintest familiarity. Yes, a question had been prodding at her since the four first ventured out on their skyslipper. She’d witnessed a sight like this once before... </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Say, Urianger?” she asks, drawing their attention. “I have been pondering something. The Empty...It bears an unmistakable likeness to the Burn, does it not?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Burn...Birthplace of Garlemald’s righteous crusade against primals.” They nod their head in recollection. “Yes, thou didst visit that forsaken stretch of Othard…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Burn?” Ryne tilts her head, inquisitive. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A region in the Source that looks much like what you see before us,” Sahri informs her. “Though admittedly, some degree of life still lingered, rather unlike the Empty…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I...am not certain I understand.” Ryne closes her eyes, thoughtful. “Did a Flood of Light occur in the Source, as well?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sahri shakes her head. “That is the strange part. The story goes that consecutive summoning of primals bled the land dry of aether. And indeed, it suffered from…” The woman wracks her brain for the correct terminology, relieved she stumbles across it. Y’shtola’s lessons were sticking, after all. “...a severe localized reduction in its aetheric density. Right, Urianger?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That...is correct,” Urianger confirms with a hint of surprise. His eyes light up with passion. “A primal’s summoning forcibly extracteth aether from its surrounding environment, and if copiously repeated, nature hath no recourse to reconstitute its loss. Bereft of a spark, an inciting stimulation, the land layeth dead...No doubt creating the distinctive white dunes for which the Burn is known.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And yet, it makes little sense that the Empty would share that depleted state,” Sahri continues. “After all, the land was blasted with aether, not stripped of it. And if we are in danger of overexposure to light during our stay, that would suggest much still remains.” The woman furrows her brow. “Why, then, would we find it in such a state? Why would the land act as if it were dead while aether exists in abundance? I have been turning it over in my head since we first crossed over, and yet find myself no closer to an answer…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...That’s right…” Ryne mutters to herself. “The aether...it’s all still here…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I had not realized thou hadst developed such keen an interest in aetherology, my friend.” Urianger grows animated. “I, too, have found myself entranced by this most vital line of inquiry, and I believe I have devised an assortment of sound theories.” Sahri nods along, urging them forward. “Mainly, they regard the nature of light itself--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“While I am certain this is a </span>
  <em>
    <span>fascinating</span>
  </em>
  <span> topic,” Thancred interrupts, “I do believe we of lesser learning on the matter might appreciate being spared the intricacies.” He sighs, looking towards Sahri--baffled. “Though our fair academian does make a sound observation. Since when have you been able to maintain a conversation about aetherology with <em>Urianger</em>, Sahri?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh...I doubt I could have kept up for much longer,” Sahri demurs, rubbing the back of her head. “Y’shtola has been doing her best, but I am still firmly a novice.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Y’shtola. I should have known.” Thancred feigns annoyance. “Well, if she has her claws in you, she will not soon relinquish them. I suppose I should prepare myself for the day I find the three of you locked in </span>
  <em>
    <span>rapturous</span>
  </em>
  <span> conversation in the Rising Stones…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sahri.” Ryne beams at her, face soft. “You’ve been spending a lot of time with her, haven’t you? Y’shtola, I mean. I noticed the feathers.” A slight tinge of red rises to Sahri’s cheeks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Feathers?” Thancred asks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, in her hair. The same ones Y’shtola wears.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thancred, pole in hand, leans closer to Sahri, giving her a lookover. His face brightens in recognition. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They are the same,” he recognizes. “Where did you get your hands on these?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They were...a parting gift, of sorts,” Sahri explains, attempting to suppress her sudden shyness. Unfortunately, she seems to have piqued Thancred’s interest, the man quirking an eyebrow. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A parting gift, you say? I was under the assumption you’d returned to the Source for most of our time apart.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I did return...briefly,” she quietly adds. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And the rest was spent sitting in Y’shtola’s lap, then?” Thancred’s teasing sets Sahri’s face aflame, and his own smile falls. “...Wait, did you actually--?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A joyous laugh rings through the air, delivered by none other than Urianger. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah, thy countenance betrayeth thee, my friend!” With a few halting attempts, they manage to suppress their laughter, but they are beaming. “‘Twas unmistakable that Y’shtola’s sentiments towards thee had assumed an amorous nature...That she would abscond with thee so immediately following our triumph is only to be expected.” There is an edge to ‘abscond’ that leaves Sahri scandalized. “Would I be correct in mine assumption that Slitherbough hath served as the locale for thy recuperation?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sahri takes a breath, gathering herself. She puts on a self-deprecating smile. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...The next time we visit the Blessed, it would be best if you all referred to me as Lukah,” she explains, scratching her cheek. Ryne clasps her hands in glee.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, is that your mother’s name? They’ve accepted you as one of them? That’s so wonderful, Sahri!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, that is her name,” Sahri confirms, reminding herself to explain the intricacies later. “And…” She tugs down her collar and pulls her choker--really, more of a scarf--above it, gemstones and all. “...They have. Fully and truly.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A heartstone…!” Ryne brings a hand to her mouth in surprise.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The most precious of gifts the Blessed might grant…” Urianger muses. “Even for their esteemed Warrior of Darkness, such thorough acceptance into their community would not hath occurred without genuine merit.” He nods to himself, studying her. “Yes...When I observed thou appearest newly hale, ‘twas not only in form. Our months spent in torpidity were not mirrored by yours. The gleam in your eyes revealeth a woman transformed.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A keen, incisive insight, as Sahri had come to expect from her colleague. Her trauma’s new crescendo forced her to confront her woes in a way she had not in years. A hand comes down to her scarf, cradling her heartstone in its palm. Thancred’s. The man now stood behind her, his presence at her back a comfort she allows herself to lean into.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A full-fledged member of the Blessed...A simple confession of love would have been enough, did the woman know the meaning of the word restraint.” He sighs, and Sahri tilts her head to look upon his face--there is an unmistakable sorrow in his smile. “...Hearing nary a word from you, I had assumed you were otherwise occupied. If only I had known you rested an arm’s length away.” His voice grows quiet, as if Urianger and Ryne would not hear his next words. “...I did miss you, Sahri.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The woman immediately pivots, pulling him into an embrace. “Thancred…” Oh, she was still unused to him being direct in his emotionality. In some ways, his confession at her bedside seemed a distant dream, given all that followed. He </span>
  <em>
    <span>missed</span>
  </em>
  <span> her...Sahri squeezes the man tightly, mirroring her heart. “I’m...sorry. I am so terribly sorry, Thancred.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You needn’t be,” he tells her, running his hand through her hair. And yet she did. The woman takes a breath--she cannot falter in her renewed conviction, not now. If she could not find her own, she would imagine Y’shtola’s in her place.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I am sorry,” she repeats, relinquishing her embrace. She moves to the man’s side and turns so that she faces Urianger and Ryne, as well. Urianger’s expression carried unusual sentiment, and Ryne’s eyes were wet. “And I must be honest--with all of you. When we went our separate ways at the Crystarium, I...was not well.” She wills her breathing to stay steady. “I wish I meant physically. I could not fairly consider myself functional.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That...makes sense,” Ryne says with a deep frown. “The horror of grappling with that light, I…” Sahri’s heart flies off beat at the mention, and she barely manages to not let it get the better of her. “I cannot begin to imagine the mark it would leave on your soul…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A dreadful one,” Sahri confirms. A man’s smile floats through her mind--utterly bewitching. “...Though that is far from all that plagued me.”</span>
</p><p>
 “I want to know.” Thancred takes her hand between his, expression brimming with sincerity. “I want to know, Sahri, what weighs on your heart.” <em>I want to be a part of your life, as well</em>, she hears. She gives the man a smile.
</p><p>
  <span>“And I want you to know,” she reassures him, pressing a kiss to his cheek. “All of you,” she continues, looking towards Urianger and Ryne. No longer would she hide her ills from those closest to her. “Each of you...you are my family. You...deserve to know the truth of my past. I trust you.” Urianger, in particular, seems taken aback by this declaration. She nods at them reassuringly. “All of you,” she insists. Urianger looks more relieved than she’s seen them in years. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Unfortunately...It will require time to explain. More time than we have.” She turns to face Eden, the beast, the vessel laying dormant--but for how much longer?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...Of course,” Thancred agrees. “As a precaution, I should start scouting the area around it as the three of you wrap up matters here.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Urianger nods in assent. “‘Twould be prudent.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Before that,” Sahri stops them. “There is something more I would like to say.” All turn to her, and she gives them a wide smile, hand on her chest. “...I will not pretend that which afflicted me has suddenly vanished. Such is not the way of these ailments of heart. If such becomes an issue, I thank you in advance for your patience. And yet…” The woman’s jade eyes glimmer in the sunlight reflected off the Empty’s white sands. “With Y’shtola and the Blessed, I was able to find a certain peace. Pray do not fret over me. I will stand firm.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“As you ever do.” Looking down upon her, Thancred’s gaze burns warm. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think any of us were worried about that,” Ryne adds with a smile. Her eyes grow distant. “That kind of love, it sounds...powerful.” Ah...The girl still stewed over Thancred’s earlier words, no doubt. The man seems to pick up on this, walking to the girl and placing a hand on her shoulders. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, now. Did you not hear what Sahri said? It is a love you have at your fingertips.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>With us</span>
  </em>
  <span> remains unspoken, yet it takes on volumes in its silence. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Indeed thou dost,” Urianger affirms, their hand coming upon Ryne’s opposite shoulder. Sahri giggles at their affection (as well as Ryne’s reddening face) and moves towards the girl herself. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“While I agree with them both, I take it that is not quite what you meant,” she says, earning simultaneous relief and further embarrassment. “If you want it, you will find it. I know you will, Ryne.” The girl looks at her with wide eyes, glancing at Thancred, then Urianger, and back to her. A shy smile rises to her face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I, um. Th-thank you.” The girl bows her head slightly when Sahri ruffles her hair. Thancred sighs, though he is clearly more amused than annoyed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If anyone was an expert in such matters, it </span>
  <em>
    <span>would</span>
  </em>
  <span> be her,” he teases. “I suppose I should start saving up for all of the inevitable dates.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thancred!” Ryne squeaks, and her trio of makeshift guardians laugh in chorus. A most freeing sound to Sahri’s ears, even if it drives Ryne’s face deeper and deeper into her hands.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah...But really, we should get this operation underway,” Thancred says as the laughter trails off. “I’ll be away, then.” The man gives Urianger a nod, patting Ryne on the back before turning. Sahri stops him with a hand on his chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Be careful, won’t you?” she asks simply. It is not as if she was truly concerned--Thancred knew how to take care of himself, how to identify potential dangers before they became a problem. And yet it only felt right to request. A dash of normalcy for a couple whose relationship had been anything but. An intimate care she wished to continue to develop, now that she had the time. After a moment, he grins at her, face awash in love. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course I will. You do recall how I got this tattoo, yes?” He gestures at the mark of the Archon on his neck. “I’d consider myself the last person you would need to advise caution for.” He gives a small laugh. “Especially now. So much to live for, and all that.” It is not only her, but Urianger and Ryne he glances at. He may have expressed such a sentiment casually, but Sahri knew of the enormity behind it. She removes her hand from his chest to give him a firm push at his back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Along you go, then, grand Archon of espionage.” Her smile gains a teasing edge, and the man laughs, surprising her with a quick peck to the top of her head that leaves her ears twitching. With a wave, he is off. Most predictably, her two remaining comrades regard the woman with a particular contentment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thou hast softened the man’s passions in a miraculous way, Sahri,” Urianger observes. “Would that he treateth I with such a delicate comportment...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, but he does, Urianger!” Ryne insists. “I have seen it, however you two tried to hide it from me.” It is a most amusing sight, watching Urianger’s cheeks pinken. While Sahri would delight in watching this scene unfold, her responsibility gets the better of her, sparing him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Will you assist me in finishing with this tent, Ryne? I’ll likely require the help.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The girl nods, smiling. “Of course. Back to where we started, then. You can put the finishing touches on this one alone, Urianger?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Without a doubt,” they assure, gesturing her off. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When the girl approaches, Sahri surprises her with a small hug--and a quick peck to the top of her head.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Tonight</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Despite the exhaustion of conquering Eden, the mysterious girl, and two reborn primals all in quick succession, Sahri had made a promise. And so, upon their joint return to the Crystarium--ensuring their new ward had been placed in suitable hands--she gathered the three in Thancred’s room in the Pendants. There she shared with them the full truth of what she had come to reckon with during her time in Slitherbough--albeit slightly filtered for Ryne’s sake. The light, but more importantly...him. The truth of her past, her relationship with Emet-Selch--with her Hades. What she remembered, what she did not. She’d had this conversation a few times by now, yet it refused to become any easier. It was ugly, but it was the truth, and she could take small comfort in knowing she had stayed true to what she resolved with Y’shtola. </p><p>Of course, the tale was a difficult one to listen to, as well, each of their comrades grappling with their own strained reactions. Thancred, predictably, had been on-edge at the mere mention of Emet-Selch’s name, anger emerging in full force as she detailed the depths of the emotional wounds their foe had left her with--how close he came to snapping her resolve in two. Urianger, for their part, served to calm Thancred where Sahri herself could not. They stayed silently dour throughout her tale, asking questions on occasion--though she could tell they had a thousand more bubbling behind their eyes. Their discretion was heartening, to say the least. </p><p>Ryne’s impulse was to console, and try she did, even though she clearly found herself overwhelmed. Emet-Selch’s Amaurot was not one any of them had forgotten--whatever his focus on her, he’d succeeded in getting under each of their skins. Instilled the seeds to <em> remember </em> a shared, ancient trama--one rendered distressingly personal by a friend’s scattered memories of love, no doubt. It was not long after Sahri had finished that Ryne requested to retire, and Sahri could not rightly blame her--the hour grew late, and their spirits were one and all drained. Urianger escorted the girl off and retired himself--though Sahri doubted he’d be getting any sleep--leaving she and Thancred to continue discussing the revelations in private. He ended up asking far more questions than Urianger ever had, but eventually, their conversation seemed to be on the course to winding down.</p><p>“Emet-Selch...Hades.” Thancred’s elbows rest on the table at which the two sat, palms to his forehead. “What a conniving, despicable, genius of a bastard. Before tonight, I would have said he’d played his cards brilliantly, but it turns out he was hiding half the deck.” He lets out a deep sigh. “And I was none the wiser. To his true plot, to what he was <em> doing </em> to you...I feel rightly blind.” </p><p>“Y’shtola expressed a similar sentiment,” she tells him, placing her hand atop his. To her relief, a wry smile grows on the man’s face.</p><p>“Y’shtola did, now? If she too was fooled, perhaps I can afford to cut myself some slack.” His expression turns ponderous. “...Still. I failed to comprehend the depths of your woes once again. Just as I had resolved to no longer let them slip me by...”</p><p>“I kept them close to my chest,” she reassures. “You could not have known. I should have spoken with all of you the instant he started coming to me in private, but I did not. I was reckless.”</p><p>“...That you were,” Thancred agrees. “It seems to be a habit of yours. One I doubt that I will be able to shake.”</p><p>Sahri smirks. “You would be a fool to try.” </p><p>“Then, at the very least…” He relaxes his posture, taking her hand between his and resting them on the table. “I believe we could both afford to do a little less secret-keeping from now on, yes?”</p><p>She squeezes his hand. “I promise you. No more of this hiding.”</p><p>“I promise the same. That forthcomingness is something we need,” he tells her with a smile. “After all, I must know your heart if I am to properly look after it.”</p><p>Sahri’s breath leaves her, though she tries not to show it. “Thancred…” She’s not certain she would ever get used to this new Thancred who faced her, but she loved it all the same. The man shakes his head.</p><p>“Ah, but listen to me, going on about myself when the subject’s not about me at all. Not really.” </p><p>“Most men tend to fall into that trap,” Sahri teases, grateful for the chance to regain her composure. That earns a laugh from him, dissipating more of their residual tension. </p><p>“I’d like to imagine I aspire to greater sensibilities than <em> most men</em>.” His thumb rubs soothing patterns into the back of Sahri’s hand, face taking on an edge of concern. “You reassured us in the Empty, yet I can only imagine how taxing <em> recounting </em> that all was, let alone experiencing it. Are you...certain you are well?”</p><p>Sahri takes a moment to ponder his question. “...I am tired,” she admits. “Every ilm of my body aches.” </p><p>“That…is not quite what I was getting at.” Thancred wears a bemused smile. “Though after the day you had, I cannot fairly argue. Here.” The man relinquishes her hand and stands. “I believe I have something to help ease you.” </p><p>“Is it a massage, by chance?” Sahri asks, but the man answers her only half-serious question by walking to a far corner of the room.</p><p>“One could consider it a massage for the soul.” Thancred bends down, procuring a glass bottle of deep red. </p><p>“Could it be…?” Sahri asks, weariness balanced by rising excitement. </p><p>“I bought this at Musica Universalis a few weeks back with you in mind,” he explains, taking two glasses in hand and moving back to where they sat. “Cost me a fair bit of coin, considering I asked for the finest wine they had in stock. And before you inquire, no, I cannot say I recall the name.” </p><p>“A pity. But honestly, any swill would do about now.” She watches eagerly as the man pours each of them a glass, setting the bottle to the side. She takes the cup in hand, sighing in relief as the flavor, the faint burn of alcohol grace her tongue. She smiles, the tension in her muscles easing. “Ah...A bold taste, as one might expect from a climate such as Kholusia’s. Is that a hint of blackberry…? Or whatever its equivalent may be in the First.” She leans back in her chair, considering the glass in hand. “I cannot say I am familiar with the varieties of grape indigenous to Norvrandt, but if I had to wager, this is a blend. Humble, but a delightful little medley of flavour.”</p><p>“Gods, you sound just like the Limsan upper crust I would steal from as a child,” Thancred replies, taking a sip himself. “The Warrior of Darkness, hero of the people, wine snob…” </p><p>Sahri scoffs in mock-offense. “Forgive me for being able to savour the taste of the alcohol I put into my system.”</p><p>“That tongue...You really have spent the last few months with her,” Thancred mutters under his breath. “In any case, I am hardly surprised it is a blend. I would imagine, given the land’s wretched state in the wake of the Flood, that people were forced to brew their wine from whatever they could manage to get their hands on. It was rather the same in the Source in the wake of the Calamity, as I recall.”</p><p>“The Calamity…” A faint recollection stirs in the back of Sahri’s mind. “That’s right...My first bottle of wine carried a rather similar flavour.”</p><p>Thancred raises an eyebrow. “Oh? Do I sense a story there?”</p><p>“Not a particularly long one.” Sahri shrugs. “I’d begged Lady Lukah to allow me to sample a bottle for years, but she very responsibly insisted I was much too young. In the wake of the Calamity, though…” A barbed nostalgia. “I believe it was a few months after that she handed me the bottle. She told me…‘If you are not rightly a woman now, you will never be,’ as I recall. And so we whittled the hours away together until it was empty.”</p><p>“Mmm…” Thancred nods in understanding. “Even the most upright of parents could not be blamed for such a sentiment. Though if I may ask, what had you clamoring for a taste to begin with? Did Lukah have a fondness for the stuff?”</p><p>“Not particularly.” Sahri scratches her cheek. “...With how young I was then, my motivations were rather childish.” </p><p>“A snobbishness born from youthful innocence?” Thancred leans in, smile growing. “Now you must tell me.”</p><p>“I am not--” Sahri cuts off her defensiveness with a laugh. She could tell her relaxation was fueled by the faint buzz of alcohol starting to seep into her mind. Fortunately, she was far from a lightweight. “Very well. La Noscean grapes...were always something of a favorite snack as a child. A rarer one, given they needed to be imported, but that made each occasion Lukah brought home a bunch or two more of a treat.” She shakes her head, amused at her own memory. “When my childhood self caught wind of a coveted <em> drink </em>made from them...Poor Lukah would not hear the end of it.”</p><p>“<em>Grapes</em>?” Thancred asks in disbelief. “You first wanted to taste wine because it was made from <em> grapes? </em>Surely she could have found you some juice instead.” </p><p>“Ah, but there was an air of mystery to wine, a maturity...And once my mind is set upon an idea, it will not soon relinquish it.” </p><p>“That, we can all attest to.” Thancred wears a face of bewilderment. “Still...<em>grapes… </em>”</p><p>“I’ve...I’ve always had a fondness for them. I can’t say I know why,” Sahri explains, face flushing a slight red. “Besides, that is hardly why I continue to enjoy wine in my adult life.”</p><p>“Even so, you continue to mystify me, Sahri Rhoshaan.” The stops her hand from reaching for the bottle. “No, no, allow me.” He takes the bottle himself and pours the woman another glass.</p><p>“A veritable gentleman tonight.” Sahri smirks at him. “Am I finally on the receiving end of your decades of experience in chasing after women’s hearts? A romantic evening of wine and laughter...” </p><p>“I would be lying if I said I planned this,” Thancred confesses, “but I know how to take an opportunity when I see one.”</p><p>“Well played, then,” she tells him, beaming. The man’s smile is bright in return. As far as she could recall, they had never shared a moment like this--time taken for the two of them to simply be. Even after the two had sorted out their feelings for one another, events conspired to refuse them such a period of respite. Now, though...watching the unburdened glimmer of life in Thancred’s eyes...she could enjoy it. </p><p>Idly, a thought crosses her mind. </p><p>“I do hope I am not keeping Urianger from anything. I take it the two of you have become rather used to spending your nights together.” Sahri is grateful to find her tease lands, Thancred’s face blooming to pink. The man tugs at his collar.</p><p>“No, no,” he insists. “When they walk off as they did tonight, they wish to be alone with their thoughts for some time. And even if not, they would have little room to complain about me taking one night to entertain you.”</p><p>“You seem to know their habits well,” Sahri observes. “I must say...Out of all the revelations I have stumbled across in the first, discovering your relationship with them was one of the most surprising. I was not even aware you fancied aught but women in that sense.”</p><p>“...Neither was I, truth be told.” He suppresses a small laugh. “The whole affair caught me rather unawares. And yet, as we looked after Ryne together…As he reached out to me as a friend, when none had in years...” The love seeping through his tone has Sahri’s heart burning warm. “If you had informed me a decade ago that <em> Urianger </em>would be my awakening to a grander view of my love, I would well have laughed you out of the room. But gods...he is a handsome devil without those hideous robes and goggles, isn’t he?” </p><p>“Oh, I was utterly shocked when they walked down the stairs to greet us in Il Mheg. They asked me in confidence what I thought of their new appearance…”</p><p>Thancred chuckles. “Did they? They admitted to me, once, that they had long been self-conscious about their own appearance, their perception as a man. Living among the fae allowed them to become more open in their presentation, and more explorative in terms of gender besides. They have also become noticeably less reserved…”</p><p>“Even forward, at times,” Sahri agrees. A grin rises to life on her face. “Am I correct to assume that he is the one to have taken a certain <em> initiative </em> in your relationship?”</p><p>Thancred’s eyes fly wide. “That’s, w-well. It’s not always--” The man clears his throat, attempting to restrain the expression on his vibrantly red face. “A rather personal question, don’t you think?” He regains his smile. “Surely you do not expect me to believe events transpired any differently between you and Y’shtola.” </p><p>“I…” Oh, the woes of being able to give but not take. Her face is shortly redder than his. “I suppose I have little room to talk there.”</p><p>Thancred breaks out into laughter, Sahri stunned at first but haltingly joining him. Their joint laughter reverberates throughout the room, echoing back to their ears, serving to allay the weight each of them carried. She can only hope they do not wake their unfortunate neighbors, as the lingering taste of wine rendered it more difficult to stop. When they run out of breath, they settle into a contented silence, smiling at one another. Sahri reaches out her hand to twine her fingers with Thancred’s, idly taking sips of her remaining drink. </p><p>In her comfort, her mind wanders to the implications of her new intimacy with Thancred...What other romantic gestures might he catch her off guard with? It was an entirely new world of interaction with him. Would he chance to hold her hand in public? Take her out to a nice dinner? Surprise her with flowers when she least expected it? She wasn’t certain the form his love would take with her, but she was excited to discover…</p><p>“Sahri.” Thancred’s voice breaks the silence. “Might I inquire as to a slightly more serious topic?”</p><p>Sahri nods. “Of course. Please, feel free.”  </p><p>“During your return to the Source…” He takes a moment to consider his words. “Did you have the chance to speak with F’lhaminn about all that transpired here? ...About Minfilia’s ultimate fate?”</p><p>“Lhaminn…” Tone somber, she places a hand to her chest. “Yes...I did, actually. Tataru insisted she be party to my debriefing, and I found little reason to refuse.”</p><p>“Good, good. I only wish I could have been there myself.” The man seems relieved. “And how...did she take the news?”</p><p>“As well as one could,” she reassures. “She made her peace with Minfilia’s departure long ago.” Quite unlike the two of them, Sahri must muse. Though she knew it was likely not so simple as the woman outwardly projected. “She was actually quite pleased by the stories I shared of Ryne. She thought, despite their differences, Ryne and Minfilia were quite alike in some key ways.”</p><p>Thancred cracks a smile. “They do both possess a certain tenacity of spirit. Though in each case, I would imagine such tenacity only reached its full bloom with you as their support.”</p><p>“P...Perhaps so,” Sahri concedes, lightly blushing. A thought crosses her mind, and her smile falls. “Oh no. She...she asked me to thank Ryne for her, but in our haste to investigate Eden, it completely slipped my mind…”</p><p>“Did she? That’s kind of her.” Thancred’s smile calms her. “Luckily for you, Ryne will still be here come the morn. I’ll ensure you do not forget.”</p><p>Sahri sighs in some relief. “Thank you...I would be loath to disappoint her.” She laughs lightly to herself. “That wasn’t the only time I encountered Lhaminn during my visit, actually. I was witness to her reunion with an old friend from Radz-at-Han. One Lady Nashmeira, leader of the dancing group Troupe Falsiam. Lhaminn seemed delighted to be with her, truth be told--it was a heartwarming sight, given the sorrow she so often carries with her.”</p><p>“A dancer, hm? I suppose they were practically made to be bosom companions, then. Though I am rather curious how you happened upon such a meeting.” </p><p>Sahri proudly pats her chest. “It might surprise you, but Nashmeira actually recruited me as a member of the troupe! Lhaminn bore witness to a performance of mine and my--” Heat threatens to rise to her face at the memory of how she and Ranaa danced in synchrony, eyes locked. “...My dance partner.” </p><p>“You…” Thancred blinks in disbelief. “You’re right, it does surprise me. How in the world were you scouted for a <em> dance troupe</em>? You--” He shakes his head, stopping himself. “No, no, I know better than to question how it is you manage to get wrapped up in so many odd endeavours. I’d not realized you held an interest in such public performance.”</p><p>“It...is admittedly a rather recent revelation.” Shame-inducing memories of Eulmore stir in the back of her mind. “I thought I might at least give it an attempt, and it turned out to be rather enjoyable. There is a certain thrill to having so many eyes on me, admiring the way my body moves…”</p><p>“Is that so?” There is a playful shift behind Thancred’s eyes. “In that case, what might a man with eyes happy to indulge that thrill do to secure a private showing?”</p><p>Sahri giggles, soon grinning. “Hmm...What, indeed?” she pretends to consider. “A bottle of wine might suffice as payment.” </p><p>Quickly finishing the remainder of her glass, she disentangles her fingers from Thancred’s and hops to her feet, excitement welling within. It...was relieving to be recognized and admired for something besides her combat prowess, truth be told. The way her head swam at Lhaminn’s praise likely meant that was even truer with loved ones. With a certain fluidity, Sahri removes her boots and hangs her robe on her chair, striding across the cool floor on her bare feet to an open stretch. She turns and finds Thancred leaning forward in his chair, sincerely eager. How her heart seizes with affection...</p><p>“Kreigstanz is typically meant to be performed with chakrams,” Sahri explains to him, beginning to perform her preparatory stretches, “but I believe I can manage without them. When you’ve returned to the Source, you’ll have to watch one of my performances to behold the art in earnest.”</p><p>“You can be certain I will,” Thancred assures her. A small pledge, but one that carried the promise of a future--their future. A future that would survive whatever Eden and the First had in store for them. A future where the Scions can finally make their way back home. Utterly content, Sahri takes position.</p><p>Cuing Tropue Falsaim’s traditional music in her mind, seared into her memory, the warrior-turned-dancer leaps and sets into motion. Kreigstanz was a dance style in which one step was meant to flow seamlessly into the next, one comprised of twirls, leaps, swings of one’s arms. It typically required far more space than she had to work with, but Sahri soon falls into rhythm regardless. She warms up with a few standard steps--a short hop and pose with her imaginary chakrams, immediately followed by a few kicks of her legs, grounded and aerial both. She leads into a flashy twirl on the ball of her foot--normally, the flaps and flourishes of her clothing would frame her body while doing such, but her tail on its own would have to do. </p><p>The woman hazards a glance at Thancred between her movements, pleased to find him sitting in rapt attention--face telling her that he was impressed. She allows that to encourage her into a more technical routine, her body deciding her steps in lieu of her mind. The alcohol still coursing through her system would likely rebel at too much twirling and spinning about, so she mainly relies upon smaller pivots (with an occasional indulgence). Such allows her to keep careful watch of Thancred’s evolving reaction, and oh, does she suppress a shudder at seeing the heat come to life on his face. </p><p>She supposes she cannot blame the man--bereft of her boots and robe both, her thin dress left little to the imagination. The majority of the Kreigstanz’s routine steps placed emphasis on the legs, and hers were currently on full display. Thancred himself had removed most of his heavier articles of clothing when they had first retired to the room, leaving him in the black tank top he generally wore underneath his light armour. His hands clasped on the table before him, Sahri could admire the tone of his arms, even the faint outline of his chest’s definition. She would like to blame her own...renewed attentions upon the wine they shared, but she knew that would fall far short of the truth…</p><p>Giving the man a wink, a slight tilt of the head as if to beckon him, Sahri redoubles her efforts--while adding a sensual accent to every move of her hips. She closes her eyes and loses herself in the dance, making a show of her body at every opportunity she gets. The only sound in the room is the light patter of her feet shuffling and landing floor, yet internally the woman is awash in an ocean of song. Sahri lifts her leg into the air, leaning to her side to pose...And is startled to feel a hand brace her back. Opening her eyes, she finds Thancred smiling down at her. </p><p>“Forgive me,” he tells her, “but I can only watch such a performance for so long before…” A small laugh. “Well. Wishing to become involved myself, one could say.”</p><p>“I take it you enjoyed, then?” the woman asks in a sultry voice, grinning. She begins to right herself, but lets out a squeak when she feels Thancred’s free arm loop underneath her thighs and hoist her up to his eye level. Her face flushes bright red at his contented smirk.</p><p>“I did,” he confirms, voice low. His eyes...they did not turn from hers, nor did they squeeze themselves shut, as she had become long accustomed to during intimate moments with him. No, they stared unflinchingly forward into her own...He presses his forehead against Sahri’s, the woman’s face flushing deeper. “And you’ve quite thoroughly strode over my expectations of how dancing would suit you. I would venture to say your figure is made for it--far more than war, to be certain.”</p><p>Sahri chuckles, a pleasant smile rising to her face. “I suppose we cannot all be blessed with Hyruan frames.” She places her hands on the man’s cheeks, thumbs gently rubbing against his faint stubble. Their noses brush as they each lean in, excruciatingly slowly. He’d held her in such a way before, surely, but this...“I do sincerely enjoy the craft in its own right, but I admit, having your eyes on me, and yours alone…” Her smile grows. “It made performing far more special.”</p><p>Thancred’s expression softens. “I did not do much, but I am flattered all the same. Though if I may say, you--” The man pauses, cheeks pinkening, eyes darting with...bashfulness? Gods, when had she ever seen him <em> bashful</em>? After a few false starts, he continues in a whisper, putting on his most charming smile. His eyes lock directly with hers, and Sahri holds her breath. “Finally being able to spend a proper night with you is what makes the occasion most special to me.”</p><p>Sahri’s eyes grow wide, the woman choking back tears. Without any further hesitation, she presses her lips to his own, desperately craving the man’s warmth. He eagerly returns the kiss, a deep hum escaping his throat, and Sahri loops her arms around the man’s shoulders. He’d held her in this way many a time before, she knew, and yet… And yet. Sahri’s lips curl into a smile as they kiss. On this night, his hold elicited an <em> emotion </em> she previously would never have allowed herself to feel with the man--An emotion he too impressed with his lips. When her tongue met his own, when they gently glided against one another, she knew, she <em> knew </em> it was no longer the act of secret paramours but lovers in truth. Skin tingling, blood pounding under Thancred’s adoring touch, Sahri pulls back from the kiss and whispers…</p><p>“I love you.”</p><p>For but a moment, Thancred’s mouth falls agape, a glint of moisture in his eyes. He was no more prepared for this than she, it would seem. She wondered if he’d ever heard as much from a woman’s lips while in the throes of passion. His gentle smile tells her all she needs to know.</p><p>“I love you, Sahri.”</p><p>The woman’s hands rise from his shoulders to weave her fingers through his hair. Her eyes transfixed on his own.</p><p>“Make love to me tonight. Won’t you?” she requests, slight tremble in her voice. </p><p>“I only regret not doing so sooner.” </p><p>Their lips fly into a new kiss, Sahri moaning when the man walks forward still holding her aloft in his arms. He attempts to gingerly lay her atop the bed, but the instant she has grounding she maneuvers to her knees. Her hands slide underneath his tank top, Thancred chuckling as she gleefully traces his respectable musculature. The man hoists his top over his head and throws it to the side, sitting down on the bed next to her, grinning. When Sahri once more savours the broad expanse of his chest, Thancred’s hands are atop her own, watching curiously. </p><p>Thancred’s torso is a tapestry of scars. Some earned in Lominsa’s streets and alleyways, others in a dangerous life opposing Garlemald and the Ascians...A few, Sahri even remembered tending to herself. Marks of a tumultuous past and present, they were to be strictly ignored in their previous affairs...Tonight, Sahri runs her fingers across each and every one, studying their various textures and depths. A particular pair of scars stands out rather conspicuously from the rest--wide, slightly curved underneath his pectorals. She smiles, knowing these had brought Thancred joy alongside their pain, and gives them a grateful, lingering kiss apiece. When she beholds Thancred’s face once more it is a deep shade of red, and the woman cannot help but giggle. At that, his expression twists into a smirk.</p><p>“That’s how this is going to be, then?” He takes a hold of Sahri’s wrist and presses his own kiss to it, ending her laughter in an instant. Content, he eagerly kisses up the length of her arm to her neck, earning small squeaks and gasps along the way. He reaches her neck and repeats the woman’s earlier movements, sliding under her dress to feel up the smooth skin of her front, skirting around her chest for the moment so he can hoist the garment off of her. Disposing of her bra in quick succession, nothing more separated the man from her skin. Sahri breathes heavily, watching his eyes rake over her body, a sight most familiar yet utterly new at the same time. Again he mimics her, leaning forward to run his fingers and lips across her body’s own marred expanses. She rolls her head back, whimpers turning into sharp gasps when his tongue finds itself in apt position to tease her breasts. Yet the sensation is fleeting, his lips trailing lower--</p><p>“Shall we get down to business?” Thancred shifts back, an arm looping underneath each of her legs as he situates his head at the junction of her thighs. The heat in Sahri’s core pools to a crescendo, watching him patiently--lovingly--awaiting her next word. Eyes lidding, she beams. </p><p>“We shall,” she tells him, teasingly pushing his head down to urge him along. Grin rising once more, he tugs down her panties, takes a hold of her hips and presses his tongue flat to her slit. </p><p>By now, the man had built up considerable experience in using his tongue, and so Sahri allows her limbs to fall slack. To relax and enjoy whatever it was he meant to give her. She sighs happily, watching him diligently lick as he spread her apart--faint humming becoming a moan when the tip finds her clit. If she was not before, the man had well and truly eased her on her way to wetness. He glances up to her, smiling into her folds...and as if their eyes were tethered, neither is able to look away once they meet. Love...It is love that pours from his eyes and keeps her locked in place. Love, unfiltered, pointed directly at her...Sahri reaches to her hip to tangle her fingers with his, a gift he graciously accepts.</p><p>Redoubling his efforts, the man’s tongue slips between her folds to taste of her more deeply. A sweet gesture, one that lacked the same sharp intensity of his tongue upon her clit yet stirred her forth all the same. He falls into a rhythm, delicately mixing exploration of her folds with stimulation of her rawest bundle of nerves. All the while, his eyes do not falter, and that keeps her arousal building as surely as the man’s touch upon her. Using her free hand to play with her breast, Sahri begins to moan in earnest, her pleasure radiating to envelop more and more of her body with unquenchable heat. Her thighs tighten around his head, grasp on his hand growing firmer. She shudders, Thancred’s tongue drilling against her clit to urge her through that last, delightful stretch of pleasure, and Sahri is helpless to resist his outpouring of love. She bucks her hips and comes with an understated gasp, Thancred watching in rapt attention as her orgasm wracks her body and draws forth an entirely different sort of performance from her.</p><p>Her head falls back against the bed as she rides through her peak. Though she can no longer keep her own eyes open, she smiles, knowing his gaze kept its vigil...Thancred’s tongue slows, carrying her through her afterglow, stopping only when the woman falls completely slack with relief. The bed shifts when Thancred departs from his position between her legs. A delicate hand on her face eases her eyes open once more--Thancred looks down upon her with a gentle expression, the likes of which she wasn’t certain she’d ever seen on him…</p><p>“Do not tell me you’re spent already! That was merely the warm-up.” Apparently such a face did not preclude his teasing. Sahri grins, sitting up to face him.</p><p>“I’m not,” she assures him. “Merely content. You did a splendid job, you know.” A peck on the lips. “Pray tell, what did you have in mind next?”</p><p>“You did request I <em> make love </em> to you, did you not?” the man quips as he slides off the bed to reach underneath it. Sahri immediately understands what he intends, her assumption proven correct when he stands up with a strap-on in hand. He raises his eyebrow in a silent question, Sahri’s grin growing wider.</p><p>“I rather like the way you think, Thancred Waters.”</p><p>The man laughs to himself. “That makes one of us, then.”</p><p>Tossing the toy onto the bed, he unzips his pants and allows them to fall. He hesitates but a moment--an ingrained impulse, no doubt--before pulling his undergarments down along with it, stepping out of both. Sahri could see a small trickle of moisture on the inside of his thigh, but chooses not to comment upon it for now. To allow him to take the lead in what he clearly desired--what she desired as well, deeply. He attaches the harness and gives the dildo a few satisfied strokes before climbing atop Sahri once more, pushing her flat to her back. How he smiles at the sight of her beneath him--how she smiles in turn, heart pounding in anticipation. Thancred leans forward and kisses her, carefully rubbing the dildo against the slick of her folds to wet it.</p><p>“Th...Thancred,” she gasps, knowing the sensation at her core would soon be slipping inside--she <em> needed </em> him inside her, and quickly.</p><p>“How do you want me to take you?” he asks her. “Position? Rough, deliberate?” By the Twelve, Sahri’s cheeks flush. Another first. Never had he asked that. But tonight, tonight he <em> had</em>, and the woman beams in response.</p><p>“We’re always so frantic about this, aren’t we? Take your time tonight,” she requests. He nods, smile broad. “And...take me just like this. I want--” Her flush deepens yet further. “...I want to be able to see your face. Your eyes…”</p><p>“I rather like the way you think, Sahri Rhoshaan,” he tells her, eyes lidding with affection. She smirks. </p><p>“That makes one of us, then.” </p><p>They share a chuckle, wine likely adding to the humour, and Sahri throws her hands around Thancred’s back. His hand helps align his cock with her entrance, and with one last nod of confirmation he begins to push inside. Her fingertips dig into his back at the stretch, but as promised the man takes his time, carefully filling her ilm by ilm and allowing her to adapt. The woman hums in delight when he hits bottom, eyes fluttering open to meet his own orange-brown. One arm wraps around waist, the other holding the back of her head, and the man pulls them so that their foreheads press together.</p><p>“You still want this?” he asks, lips inches from hers.</p><p>“Don’t tease,” she scolds, lightly shaking her head. “You know that I do.”</p><p>“I assure you I am not teasing.” His expression grows sincere. “I...don’t want to find some way to ruin this, is all. Gods know I’ve never left you happy before. That needs to change.” </p><p>Sahri’s eyes grow wide with concern. “Thancred, that…”</p><p>She knows a denial would be hollow--she and Thancred’s tempestuous affairs consistently instilled an aching sorrow that would not fade. But that was the past...a past to learn from, not to become mired in. Tonight would be different. The present ever ready to be forged anew. Tonight, they would have what they’d both been seeking for those long years...</p><p>“You will not ‘ruin’ anything, Thancred,” she reassures, smiling once more. “I am certain. Do you know why?”</p><p>“Why? You seem far more confident than I.”</p><p>“The reason I’m confident…” She holds him tighter, their chests pressing together pleasantly. “Is that all I have needed tonight is to feel your love, Thancred. And you? You have already given it to me in abundance...So long as I am certain of that fact, tonight will continue to be the loveliest I’ve ever spent with you.”</p><p>Thancred’s lower lip trembles. “I...I do love you. I do. I…” </p><p>He kisses her. </p><p>With a thrust of Thancred’s hips, they set into motion. He fucks Sahri slowly, cautious, but deep and firm, the woman mewling into his lips each time his base claps against her. Their arms do not leave one another, even as he gradually ramps up the pace, heated kisses and sweat-laced skin slapping against skin creating the soundscape upon which their moans fell. The friction of Thancred’s length fills Sahri with a need to thrust her own hips, each impact sends her reeling, gasping for more. And of course, as much as they could, they gazed into one another’s eyes. Tonight...Tonight, neither of them would look away. They would embrace what they shared in all its ecstasy. </p><p>“I love you, Thancred,” she whispers, having waited so long to tell him such on the verge of climax. “I love--” </p><p>Her words fall short as her walls abruptly clench down around Thancred’s length, demanding him and all he has to give. Unlike her first high, she is loud, and Thancred smiles as he fucks her through her peak. When she quiets, he slows, easing the woman into her afterglow with a touch of tenderness. Sahri’s vision is dazed when he comes to a stop, and the woman pants for breath. Slowly, Thancred’s face fades back into view. Studying him, he seems…</p><p>...Terribly pleased with himself.</p><p>“Goodness, if <em> that </em> did not put into focus how badly I had been undeserving you.” He has a certain smug pride--of course he would. “I’ve acquitted myself admirably, then?”</p><p>Sahri giggles, shaking her head in exasperation. “That was excellent, yes. I can only hope such a success does not swell your head too many sizes.”</p><p>“Oh, only one or two.” The man delicately pulls out from her, flipping to lay on his back--and pulling the woman to his chest. “To woo a woman such as you so thoroughly...Perhaps I was doing something right, all those misbegotten years of flirtation.” </p><p>“I assure you, it was rather <em> in spite </em> of your efforts.” She pokes his chest indignantly. “If you’d actually deigned to turn your attentions on <em> me…</em>” </p><p>“Oh, I would never have heard the end of it from Y’shtola if I’d scared away our green new adventurer!” He chuckles. “And by the time you made <em> us </em> all look green in comparison, attempting such had become...a rather intimidating proposition. I tell you, I couldn’t walk right for days after I woke up bewildered in that medical bed. You could have held back even a little when Lahabrea commandeered me.”</p><p>“I did,” she tells him plainly.</p><p>“...That somehow makes it even more frightening.” </p><p>The two share a laugh, and Sahri presses a kiss to Thancred’s cheek before sitting up from his hold.</p><p>“Regardless of past failings...You were attentive and more to me tonight, Thancred.” She runs her fingers over his cheek. “You only deserve the same. Consider it a reward.”</p><p>Thancred raises a brow. “What sort of ‘reward’ did you have in mind?”</p><p>“Your tongue is not the only one which enjoys flapping.” Legs unsteady, Sahri slowly crawls between the man’s legs. She takes the glistening dildo in hand and gives it a languid lick. “Besides, someone must clean this off.”</p><p>Thancred’s cheeks flush. “Another performance, then? I am rather curious to see <em> these </em> skills put to use.”</p><p>“I thought you might.” She places a few kisses around the length of his cock, giving it another lick--all while making eye contact. He was not the only one who could play such a game. “Might I touch you, as well?”</p><p>He folds his hands behind his head and leans back against the headboard.</p><p>“You certainly may. Nothing inside tonight, though, if you would.”</p><p>“As you wish.”</p><p>After a few more long licks, Sahri wraps her lips around Thancred’s tip. She sinks down, easing him into her mouth--and as she does, she slips a hand underneath the harness. Her fingers find the man’s core expectedly damp, and she prods until she locates his nub. She rubs at it, and Thancred immediately makes a guttural sound of approval. Sahri smiles, reaching the depth to which she could take his length into her mouth. And thus she bobs her head in earnest. There were only so many ways her fingers could rub at him in such a position, so Sahri tried to make up for it with the show above, exaggerating every flick of her tongue and suck of her lips to favour flash, seduction. She knows from Thancred’s face that she is succeeding beautifully, the man’s easy smile fading into lust. </p><p>“Fuck.” </p><p>He bites his lip, doing little to stifle his small moan. His breathing grows laboured, far sooner than Sahri anticipated--She is beginning to think such eye contact may affect <em> him </em>even more than her. Good. Let him know he was loved. That he did not need to walk through life as if he was alone in this world. She presses at his nub more firmly, with intent, lightly moaning herself at the effect she was having on the man. She knows immediately when he comes, the shimmer and strain of his eyes revealing all. After a few moments, she withdraws her fingers and mouth both, slinking back up to Thancred’s side and laying her head atop his chest. It is not long before his arm moves to hold her once more.</p><p>“How was that?” she asks him, her own turn to be smug.</p><p>“That was--You--” Thancred gathers himself and laughs. “Remind me to never underestimate your skills as a performer again.”</p><p>“Hmm. I might intentionally neglect to, if it earns such a flustered reaction from you.”</p><p>“Fiend.”</p><p>“That is <em> Warrior of Darkness </em> to you.”</p><p>A few scattered chuckles, and the two settle into a contented silence. Sahri listens to his heartbeat--strong and true. (The question of <em> why </em>a soul bled and had a heartbeat could be left for another day.) Tonight, he is hers, unquestionably hers. Gods, she loved this man. Finally, his arms could be a haven...</p><p>“Say, Thancred?” </p><p>“Hm?” He opens a drowsy eye, looking to her.</p><p>“You asked me a question earlier. If...If I was truly well, after all the First put me through.” </p><p>The man frowns, fully turning his attention to her. “Ah...That I did. And?”</p><p>“Despite it all...Despite all I must continue to grapple with, within and without...Our foes, my own mind and past…” She smiles. “I think that I am. I genuinely am, for the first time in...the gods know how long. I...I have a future, Thancred. I know it.”</p><p>A few blinks of surprise, then Thancred’s smile grows broad in turn. He presses a kiss to her forehead.</p><p>“So long as you wish, I would be honoured to be a part of it.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Not 100% sure what to put here so uh...Follow me on twitter at @sahrirhoshaan ???? lmao</p>
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